DURHAM, N.H. - Aaron Bogosian scored 29 seconds into overtime to lift the St. Lawrence University men's ice hockey team to Sunday afternoon's 2-1 non-conference victory against second-ranked University of New Hampshire at the Whittemore Center.
UNH, which had been idle since winning its fourth consecutive game back on Dec. 10, is now 10-3-4 overall. SLU, which has won three consecutive games in this series vs. New Hampshire, improved to 5-8-3 with its second consecutive victory.
UNH goaltender Matt DiGirolamo (Ambler, Pa.) made 28 saves, including 13 in the third period and two in the extra session. Saints counterpart Matt Weninger was credited with 32 saves, including 10 in the second stanza and 15 in the final frame; he did not face a shot in OT.
Bogosian's goal, which was assisted by Greg Carey, came on the rebound of his own shot from the left point. The puck trickled behind DiGirolamo and was chased down by Bogosian and tapped in.
The Saints netted the game's first goal at 4:42 of the second period to take a 1-0 lead. In the defensive zone, Pat Raley chipped the puck up the boards and Mark Armstrong carried the puck through the neutral zone on the left side to create a 2-on-1 odd-man rush. Armstrong rifled a shot from the left faceoff circle inside the far post for his first goal of the year.
UNH had a two-skater advantage for 42 seconds (due to overlapping minor penalties to St. Lawrence at 11:53 and 13:11) but recorded just one shot in that time.
With 2:30 remaining in the second stanza, the 'Cats had a quick counterattack in which Paul Thompson (Derry, N.H.) entered the offensive zone on the left wing and dropped the puck at the faceoff dot for Phil DeSimone (East Amherst, N.Y.). He quickly sent a diagonal pass to Mike Sislo (Superior, Wis.) but SLU goalie Matt Weninger slid across the crease to the right post to deny Sislo.
New Hampshire tied the score, 1-1, at 14:53 of the third period. Austin Block (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) moved the puck from the left corner to John Henrion (Holden, Mass.) in the near circle and his low shot sailed past Weninger. Damon Kipp (Salmon Arm, British Columbia) was also credited with an assist.
SLU recorded a 9-7 shot advantage in a scoreless first period. The Saints generated two dangerous rushes in the closing five minutes of the opening stanza. In a shorthanded 3-on-2 opportunity, Aaron Bogosian, Kyle Flanagan and Pat Raley executed a tic-tac-toe pass sequence in which Raley was denied by DeGirolamo at the right post with 4:20 on the clock. Two minutes later, Bogosian carried the puck into the offensive zone and then a Greg Carey's drop pass set up Flanagan's wrist shot from the slot that was enveloped by DiGirolamo.
UNH's best first-period scoring chance was in a 2-on-1 rush with 7:30 remaining. Sislo corralled a loose puck in the defensive zone and carried through the neutral zone to the right circle, where he fired a shot that was blocked down by Weninger and the rebound sailed past DeSimone, who was trailing down the slot.
The Wildcats entered the game unbeaten both at home (4-0-3) and in overtime (1-0-4) this season.
New Hampshire returns to action Jan. 7 at home against UMass-Lowell. Game time at the Whittemore Center is 7 p.m.